Glaverbel Gets The Point

Designed by Terry Farrell & Partners, for Chesfield plc the distinctive curved-on-plan ‘double’ façade utilised the expertise of Swiss curtain-wall company Felix UK Limited.But the building is not merely striking.The specification of Glaverbel’s Stopray glazing ensures maximum comfort and minimum air con and heating expenses for its occupants. Stopray is a family of glass, which share a remarkable technology and performance. One surface of the sealed unit is coated with a very fine layer of precious metal. This does two things – reduces solar gain significantly and reflects heat from the inside giving exceptional thermal performance. Thus, Stopray becomes a “sun-screen” and a “thermal mirror” – reflecting expensive heat (in winter) or cooled air (in summer) back into the building.

However, many of Europe’s leading specifiers are just as interested in the way that Stopray does its job. There are well over 30 different colours and tints in the Stopray palette – giving real choice and scope for experimentation. In the UK the Stopray ‘neutrals’ are becoming more popular. This range looks like ordinary glazing with little of the mirrored-effect of some solar control glass. The ‘neutrals’ have outstanding light transmission properties, too. This gives occupants the natural light that we all prefer.

The Point features 7,000 sq.m of two Stopray ‘neutrals’. Stopray Elite which allows a remarkable 67% of available light into the building and Stopray Safir that stops all but 32% of the solar energy transmission both have a a U-value as low as 1.1 W/(m2.K).

Glaverbel with its 15 float plants and around 200 production units throughout Europe – is the European branch of AGC Flat Glass, covering all the flat glass activities of Asahi Glass, the world’s largest glassmaking group.

The Glaverbel Group (incl. Automotive) employs about 17,000 people and its sales amounted to 1.9 billion EUR in 2002. Part of the Glaverbel Group, Glaverbel UK is a key supplier to independent glass stockists and processors throughout Britain and Ireland.